Thill-coupling



(No Modell) M. G. HAWKE.

THILL GOUPLING.

110,419,016. Patented Jan. 7, 1890.

, UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MADISON G. IIAWKE, OF SARATOGA SPRINGS, NEV YORK.

THlLL-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 419,016, dated January '7, 1890. l

Application led November 18, 1889. Serial No. 330,703. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern.-

Be it known that 1, MADIsoN G. HAWKE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Saratoga Springs, in the county of Saratoga and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Thill-Couplings; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in thill-couplings, whereby I am enabled to dispense with the ordinary bolts, nuts, and joints now generally employed for fastening shafts to the axles of carriages, wagons, and similar vehicles.

Many attempts have heretofore been made to produce a thill-coupling of the character above set forth, but all have proved more or less unsuccessful owing to inherent defects in the construction and mode of operation, so that they have not superseded the old style of fastenings and been introduced into general public use.

The object of my invention is to provide a chill-coupling which shall be simple in construction, durable in use, reliable in operation, and economical in manufacture, and which can be easily and readily manipulated to connect the shafts to an axle, and enable the same to be disconnected with equal facility. There is also no danger of the parts becoming accidentally detached or disengaged from each other, thus avoiding all danger from that source.

The invention consists in the several novel features of construction and new combinations of parts hereinafter fully described, and definitely pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating the invention, and in which similar reference-numerals indicate correspondin g parts in all the figures, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a thill-coupling constructed according to my invention applied to a carriage or wagon axle. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the same. Fig. 3 is a view of the shaftiron and its cylindrical head or block detached. Fig. 4. is a plan View of the coupling with the shaft-iron removed. Fig. 5 is a front view of the same.

In the said drawings, the referencenumeral 1 designates an ordinary wagon or carriage axle.

2 designates a box for the reception of the cylindrical block 3, secured to the shaft-iron 4. This box 2 consists of two circular disks or plates 5 5, connected together by the semivcylindrical sheet 6, connected to the lower half of the peripheries of said disks. This box is secured to the clip, by which it is connected to the axle in any suitable manner, said clip consisting of a metal strap 7, passing over the axle, and having its lower ends formed into screw-threaded lugs, which pass through the connecting bar or plate S, which is secured in place by the binding-nuts 9.

To each of the disks 5 are pivot-ed the disks 10, having secured thereto or formed therewith a selnicircular wall or casing 11, provided at one edge with a slot 12. The disks 10 can revolve freely on their pivots, so as to cover and uncover the top of box 2, as desired. Upon one side of the casing 1l, near its front edge, is secured a wire 13, projecting rearwardly and then upwardly and forwardly, as seen in Fig. 2, forming, in counection with the spring-catch 13 on the clip, a fastening device for holding the casing 1l in position after the shaft-irons have been inserted in the box 2. This catch consists of a plate of spring metal secured at one end to the clip, and near its other end is formed with an upward bend 14, to receive and hold the wire 13, its free end being bent outwardly, so as -to enable the wire to be easily passed between it and the clip.

The shaft-iron consists of a metallic shank a, recessed to form a socket to receive the end of the shafts, and provided with a cylindrical head or block 3, having the rubber end disks 15, and is of a size to fit snugly within the box 2. In Fig. 1 the shaft is shown inserted in the socket of shank 1l, and secured therein by rivets 1G.

The operation of the device is as follows:

When it is desired to insert the head or block 3 of the shaft-iron within the box, and thus connect the shafts and axle, the disks 10 are revolved and the `casing 11 turned down, fully uncovering the top of the box 2, as seen in Figs. 4 and 5. The block 3 can now be readily inserted in the box. Casing 11 is then turned upward to close the top of the box, the shank IOO l1 of the shaft-ir0n entering the slot 12, as seen in Fig. 1, and the casing secured in place by turning the wire 13 under the free end of catch 13d. A reversal of the operation will allow the shafts to be disengaged from the axle.

From the above description the advantages of my invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains. In addition to providing a strong, simple, and durable coupling by which the shafts can 13e easily and securely connected to an axle, all rattling ofthe parts is avoided, which is a very disagreeable feature of the ordinary bolt and nut fastenings, and which often causes the animal to take fright and run away, resulting in great damage and injury.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim isf- 1. The'combination, with the box having a semi-cylindrical casing forming the bottom thereof and station ary circular disks to which said casing is secured, of the disks pivot-ed to said stationary disks and having a semi-,cylindrical casing provided with a slot to receive the shaft -iron, substantially as described 2. The combination, with the box 2, having a semi-cylindrical casing forming the bottom thereof and stationary circular disks to which said casing is secured, of the rotating disks pivcted to the stationary disks and having a semi-cylindrical casing provided with a slot, and the shaft-iron having a cylindrical head or block adapted to lit in said box, substanf tially as described.

3. The combination, with the box 2, disks 5, and casing 6, of the rotating disks 10, casing 1l, having slot 12, and the shaft-iron consisting of shank 4, cylindrical head 3, and end disks of rubber 15, substantially as described.

4. The combination of the box 2', disks 5, casing' 6, rotating disks 10, casing 11, having slot 12, the shaft-iron 4, having cylindrical head 3, the clip having catch 13a, and the wire 13, secured to casing 11, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signatn re in Vitnesses:

EDWARD H. HAWKE, WM. HAY BocKEs.

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